A Wrinkle In Time

I’m a big Ava DuVernay fan; as well as being a very talented director, she also comes across as an awesome human being, one that is always giving back to her fans. So when I heard that Disney had given her the reigns to one of their big blockbuster projects – making her the first black female director to helm a $100 million film - I knew I would be there to watch it. I urge everyone to support this film even if my own opinion on it, like the film, is a little muddled.

A Wrinkle in Time follows Meg; after the disappearance of her scientist father, three peculiar beings send her, her brother and her friend through space to find him. The film boasts a cast made up of Storm Reid, Oprah Winfrey, Reese Witherspoon, Mindy Kaling, Chris Pine, Zach Galifinakis, Levi Miller and Deric McCabe. Disney have allowed DuVernay to create something very different here - it comes across as quite a surrealist, experimental kids film, one that I am very intrigued by how the intended audience are reacting to. There are splashes of Nolan in this, it even reminded me of Annihilation, the mind bending sci-fi released on Netflix a week prior from Alex Garland. However, DuVernay has put her own stamp on this, creating something unlike any other kids film I have seen before.

You are dropped straight into this world and given very little explanation for anything going on. I am usually fine with films not having to hold your hand but I really could have used a bit more explanation in some scenes because at times it felt like someone had spiked my Pick & Mix. That being said, the film is very open about the fact that it’s more interested in emotion rather than plot. It’s emotion that pushes things forward: there is a literal battle of emotion to conclude it and every aspect of the film is made to reflect this.

The visuals and the audio work hand in hand with each other, DuVernay has a very clear vision as to what she wanted this film to look and feel like. The imagery we see on screen is some of the most interesting I’ve seen from a big budget film, especially one that very heavily leans on visual effects. I have seen some critics criticise the use of CGI but I personally had no problem with it and enjoyed watching the glossy effects play out on screen. Music wise the score is great and I even loved the use of pop songs being used in some of the montages, this is something I usually hate in films made for younger audiences but because this whole film had the vibe of music video it worked. It was very dreamlike in the way it was edited and everything flowed into each other very nicely. It was easy to be swept over by this film even if I did have to fill in the gaps at times.

Overall the film didn’t work fully for me, I however am not the intended audience. I love how out there it was. It was super weird with some great visuals and a unique sense of style, I just wish I had been able to make more sense of it. It was clearly a very ambitious effort from Ava DuVernay and one that should be praised, even if overall the film felt a little too loose at times. I far from hated it, but I didn’t love it either. I’m rating A Wrinkle in Time a 3/5. It’s definitely worth a watch still, just to see a surrealist kids film come to life in front of you.

What did you think of the film? Masterpiece or messy? Let me know in the comments below.

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The Jungle Book

These Disney live action remakes of their animated classics are weird. I get them, but I’m not overly sure if I like them, or at least not until I saw The Jungle Book. This one kind of works.

Unlike most of recent Disney remakes, this one actually sticks pretty close to the original story, minus a few aspects. It’s pretty much The Jungle Book you know and love from your childhood. Bagheera and Baloo keeping Mowgli safe from Shere Khan. Which I guess kind of begs the question, was this remake even necessary?

I think in a way, it does feel fresh, the biggest selling point being the heavy blend of CGI and live action footage. You couldn’t have made this film five years ago; it would have looked really naff. For the most part now it actually looks really good. There is a kind of digital sheen over the whole film but some of the characters are very photorealistic. Shere Khan looks like a tiger, in fact he looks so real that he is just as scary in this film as I remember him being in the animated film when I was about 5. There are the odd minor characters or little one off animals that walk in and out of the frame that look a little more digital than some, but for the most part you lose yourself in this world without noticing the seams.

The film boasts a very impressive voice cast, some of them more genius then others, Idris Elba as Shere Khan and Bill Murray as Baloo being the standouts. The one thing I was worried about the most was, would you believe these realistic looking animals could talk but thankfully you do, the voice work is very solid. The one hiccup of the film, and I hate to nit-pick a child’s performance, is Neel Sethi as Mowgli. Child actors are always hit or miss and it is such a shame that for the most part here, he is not that convincing. Movement is fine, he does make you forget that these animals weren’t actually there, but whenever he said a line of dialogue I did not believe a word he said.

Pacing wise the film moves along pretty swiftly and doesn’t slow too much. Tonally it is a lot more serious; however in the second act it does struggle with whether it should be a musical or not which was a little weird. One of the songs is worked in well, another not so much... The soundtrack overall though was great and really works to add to your emotional reaction.

Overall it’s a good film which is very visually pleasing. It has its problems but for the most part it’s enjoyable and a film your kids will be sure to enjoy, however do be warned that Shere Khan is very scary, even as an adult I was little bit on edge around his scenes but he really is the standout performance and character of the film. I am rating The Jungle Book a 3.5/5.

Have you seen the film? Did you enjoy it? Let me know in the comments below!

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Zootopia/Zootropolis

Whatever you call it (in the US it is Zootopia) (In the UK it is Zootropolis), there is no denying that this film is really good. I had an absolute blast watching this one in the cinema; it was funny, charming and heartfelt with its characters, story and messages. If you have a child or are a big child like myself, go see this film, now! Trust me, the kids in my cinema showing were loving it so much that one of them was doing the robot dance at the end... I don’t know why that was but I guess it meant he liked it?

Zootopia is set in a world like ours but instead of humans its animals. Prey and predator have evolved and put their differences aside to live together, the staple of this utopia being their main city, Zootopia (get it!). We follow Judy Hopps, a bunny who dreams big and works hard to become the first ever bunny cop. But things aren't as good as they appear and the animal kingdom laughs at her wanting to do a job those bigger and more intimidating animals usually take on. In order to prove her worth, Judy teams up with a sly fox, Nick, and together they work to solve a missing persons case.

It's harmless fun and even if it wasn't an animated film this would be a really solid buddy cop movie. You really fall for the characters, especially Judy, and you are invested in them throughout the story. It's light hearted but deals with a lot of big themes about our society such as racism, sexism and prejudice. However it's not so bogged down that it doesn't know how to have fun, this film is crammed full of it.

From its great comedic scenes to its background animal puns, there is something for everyone to laugh at here. This is what I loved most about this film; its writing is so clever. The plot is tight and although it may not be constant belly laughs, the film always has something in the background to snicker at as well. Which is a credit to the animators as well who built a very well realised and pun induced world for this story to be set in, I mean the animation is stunning!

The Walt Disney Animation Studios is on fire right now, they keep pumping out these really great family films that have some very powerful messages intertwined in them, at this point they are on par with Pixar for me. I hope they don't put a foot wrong soon because I will keep watching whatever they make.

This film is a credit to strong storytelling and brilliant world building direction. I never would have thought that I would prefer this film to Batman punching Superman in the face but unfortunately that is the case (that kid I talked about at the start had a Batman hoodie on, bet he didn’t do the robot at the end of that film, if he was even allowed to watch it). I don't care though, I loved this film. Keep this up Disney; keep this up because it is so, so good. I'm rating Zootopia (or Zootropolis) a 4.5/5.

Have you seen the film? What did you think? Let me know in the comments below.

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Star Wars Episode 7!?

The news broke this morning that Disney have just bought the Lucas Film company and plan to make a new Star Wars film ready for a 2015 release. This of course sparked Internet outrage and as a massive fan of Star Wars I don't know whether to be excited or annoyed at the prospect of a 7th film in the franchise.

A lot of people are complaining that Disney will ruin the franchise but if you ask any major fans they will probably agree that the image of Star Wars was ruined when they released the first prequel. So why would they know go and make a sequel to the original trilogy?

Well for one reason we will no longer have George Lucas involved, or at least not in a directorial or producing role.In fact he is only going to be an outside contributor which kind of means he won't have much input. Which means we can get someone new to create a Star Wars film, including making a script which doesn't have bland and crappy dialogue. Now we can get some new fresh ideas to help restart the franchise and hopefully bring back the glory of when the first 3 films were released.

Where they go with Episode 7 is anyone's guess. Will Mark Hamil reprise his role as an older Luke Skywalker? Probably not. But hopefully Luke will play a background role in the new film, perhaps bringing him alive through the technology they used to create another Jeff Bridges in Tron Legacy. Will any of the original cast be back, who knows? I for one am anticipating where they hope to go with the new film.

In terms of who should be directing, I don't have a clue, there are the obvious choices like Joss Whedon and JJ Abrams, but I doubt that will happen. My guess it could be someone like Jon Favreau or Mathew Vaugn (could this be the reason he left the new X-Men film?). Whoever it is though will have a massive amount of pressure on them to create a Star Wars film that fans and critics alike will enjoy. May the force be with them.

When it comes to the script, I say hire one of the guys who wrote the well reviewed Star Wars novels or comics, surely their ideas would make a lot of sense in the development of the series.

I don't really see why making a new Star Wars film is a bad idea, surely this just help make the franchise live longer and hopefully become one of the biggest ever. I for one feel like a child again at the prospect of seeing another Star Wars film. In fact I am even more excited for 2015 as Disney will have hell of year, what with The Avengers 2 and Star Wars Episode 7. They are sure going to make a load of money! Lets hope both films are of excellent quality as well though.

2 and half years until a new Star Wars film, didn't expect to hear that this morning... What are your thoughts on a new film in the franchise? Please comment below.

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